Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-09-08
THE RAILROAD WAR.
The Bills Still Under Discussion in the
New Hampshire HO1se-iNir. sideways
Opinion OF the Boston Il Maine.

| CONCORD, Sept. Z.
! In the New Hampshire House this morn
! ing discussion on the railroad bills was re-
sumed. Mr.. Sulloway was the first speaker.
/ He said that this is not contest between
railroads, but between stock brokers, stock
holders and railroad wreckers on the one
/ hand and the people of the State on the
other. These men are not at Concord On in
/ vitation of any railroad or corporation and
challenge them to show that they are. They
! are here as evidence and plunderers for
power and conquest ID wreck a railroad
Their path in Maine, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire is strewn with financial wreck
and disaster. They are not here to build
roads but to rob US. Where is the road the
! Boston and Maine ever built and paid for in
this State since their main line vas construct
ed? All the roads in the southwestern sec
tion of the State were built bv the Eastern
road and New Hampshire capital, and the
Maine squeezed them until it secnred con-
troll of them. The policy of New Hampshire
has never been changed. 1t has made the
railroad its servants. The railroad has new
er controlled the people and the Colby bill
was passed to perpetuate that policy. The
people must either be controlled by the rail-
road. or controll them, and as We are op-
posed to any change, that is one reason we
do not believe in the Hazen bill. The report
of majority of the railroad committee was
one of the most infamous and insolent things
ever presented to the legislature.
One reason given for the passage of the
Hazen bill is good faith. Such talk the
speaker characterized as deception and as
being made for the purpose of imposing on
members. There was nothing in the Colby
bill warranting any such claim. Mr.. Sullo
way then referred to the statement made by
Alr oT 70 l.
was obliged to speak on the Hazen bill.
Before he had proceeded far, sMr. Colby
arose and interrupted the speaker, saying in
substance that he wished the gentleman to
say just what he meant, and that he (Colby)
would be willing to meet any intimation OF
dishonesty at the proper time.
Mr.. Sulloway emphatically disclaimed any
such imputation This episode created con-
siderable excitement for the time being.
Continuing his argument Mr.. Suiloway
said the only reason given by Mr.. Colby in
his speech last night, for opposing the Ather-
ton bill was that syndicate controlling large
blocks of Montreal stock would be benefited
Harry Bingham of Litteton, one of the So
called syndicate, had stated that such thing
was impossible, and that if the bill was not
sufficiently strong to prevent anything of
that kind the railroad committee could draft
a section to cover iJ. ''If this Atherton bill
be defective" continued the speaker, why
doesn't the gentleman from Claremont reme-
dy itp There isn't particle of water in that
stock. The people along the road put in
their hard cash 40 long years ago, and the
public has had the benefit of 1t since and
those poor people never got dollar on their
investment. large amount of stock is still
held by the original owners or their legal
heirs and | would, if possible, give them a
| ui y1pn1 Is uh 1ividouAs
should not be paid that stock, because one
| fourth of it is held by certain gentlemen?"
! The speaker said that no such results as
the gentleman from Claremont had pictured,
could follow the passage of the Atherton bill,
but if they should he would be glad of it.
He asserted that Mr.. Colby was not the au
thor of the Colby bill and that all reports to
the contrary were put forth to peceive. The
speaker said he was present when that bill
was begotten and claimed to be in position
to know as well as anybody in the State what
the purpose and intention of the Colby bill
was. He asserted that the Manchester Union
was paid $4,000 by the Boston & Maine for
the misrepresentation it publishes daily for
the purpose of deceiving members and the
people of the State. He said the contest in
1888 was whether the Northern, Montreal
and Concord should unite into one line and
the Maine and Eastern into another At that
time the only opposition to the Colby bill
came from the Amoskesg Manufacturing
Company, the Canadian Pacific and the Bos
! ton & Lowell, these railroads opposing the
bill because it did not allow them foreign
! lines to unite with. The Boston & Maine,
he said, thronged the lobbies of the Senate
to prevent the passage of the Todd bill to re-
duce fares to two cents mile, while the
Concord road, about which they say 50 much,
voluntarily cut down the tariff to that poiut
The Maine now said to the Senate, "Dont
pass the bill until all our leased lines, poor
and Improbable as many of them are, have
paid dividends of eight per cent
At this point the House adjourned till after
noon.
The Senate committee began the bribery
investigation tonight. Senator Sawyer testi
fed at length that Pierce offered him $4,000
to make speech favoring the Boston &
Maine road Pierce testified at length deny
ing the charges.